


voices in the crowd

by Boudreaux_13, marvellingyou (tourmalinex)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Anarchist Bucky Barnes, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Bottom Steve Rogers, Casual Sex, Communist Steve Rogers, Community Service, Creampie, Dom Bucky Barnes, Facials, Gay Bucky Barnes, Idiots in Love, Jaded Bucky Barnes, Light Dom/sub, Love Confessions, M/M, Optimistic Steve Rogers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Riding, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, Steve Rogers/Sharon Carter (past & mentioned), Steve Rogers/Thor (past & mentioned), Strangers to Lovers, Sub Steve Rogers, Switching, Top Bucky Barnes, Top Steve Rogers, or at least they try to keep it casual, those relationships literally are just a small part but matter in context i guess???, volunteering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:20:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25638679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boudreaux_13/pseuds/Boudreaux_13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tourmalinex/pseuds/marvellingyou
Summary: As of last week, Bucky was a free man, but not as free as he would have liked. For better or worse, Natasha kept him on a short leash, tagging along when he ventured about the city, eyes sharp. But she was looking beyond his own actions and instead focused the most on those around him. Anyone who interacted with Bucky long enough would say that he’s a good person. He held doors open, gave up his seat on the subway to those who needed it and bought lunch for the homeless.But he was also known for suckerpunching anyone he felt deserved it.Steve and Fury didn’t always agree on how to get things done, but they respected each other and came to the same conclusion: they needed a change. That’s when Fury had brought up the Initiative Assembly, where his friends had met up to do everything in their power to change things for the better. They protested and petitioned for rights, calling representatives for every borough to ensure that the people got what they needed. Seeing as Steve and Sam had similar goals, they reinstituted the Assembly with the intent to right the injustices of a failing system.In other words, both Bucky and Steve believe in changes, but disagree on the steps to get there.
Relationships: Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau (mentioned), James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Kate Bishop/America Chavez (Mentioned), Natasha Romanov/Sam Wilson (background)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 25
Collections: Stucky Reverse Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Any reference to protests and other events is purely coincidental. The creation of this fic began in late January/early February and thus is not related to COVID-19 or recent protests. This is not meant to belittle any community or idealize any struggles and I am willing to remove this fic if deemed necessary.

As of last week, Bucky was a free man, but not as free as he would have liked. For better or worse, Natasha kept him on a short leash, tagging along when he ventured about the city, eyes sharp. But she was looking beyond his actions and instead focused the most on those around him. Anyone who interacted with Bucky long enough would say that he’s a good person. He held doors open, gave up his seat on the subway to those who needed it, and bought lunch for the homeless. 

But he was also known for sucker-punching anyone he felt deserved it.

He was finally done with his court-ordered community service for protesting—or rather, defending some protesters from those who felt different, so to speak. Bucky didn’t agree with the way things were governed, often heard saying “ _ to hell with it all! _ ” But it didn’t sit right with him to just stand back and watch as people were knocked down just for voicing their concerns. So he spent the night in jail with the others, waiting until about 5:30, when Natasha arrived with the rising sun. The look on her face that morning wasn’t anger, or disappointment. He couldn’t figure it out for the life of him.

That is, until last night. Bucky was settled on the couch, catching up with some reading when Natasha plopped down next to him, staring until Bucky finally put his book down.

“Hey, do you have any plans tomorrow night?”

Bucky grabbed his cup of tea from the side table and took a sip, one eyebrow raised. “Nope. Why?”

“Well, Clint usually goes with me to my meetings, but he had to pick up some extra shifts.”

Oh.  _ Those _ meetings.

Before he could even object, Natasha shot him a look. 

“It’s only gonna be two hours, there’ll be food and coffee and you’ll get to see what’s happening in the community. And I know you’re all about the community.”

“You’re right,” Bucky began. He’d been to “ _ But _ , I’m not a fan of voting, or getting other people to vote.”

“I know, I know.” Natasha put her hands on her hips. “But this election is important. We’re also going to be talking about fundraising, so once we get to the voting stuff, you can tune out.”

“The system is bullshit—” 

“—and there’s no point. Yeah, yeah. Heard you a million times, and I agree.” She heaved a sigh. They’d been over this since high school when Bucky nearly raised a revolt against their AP world history teacher. “But I’m asking you as a  _ friend _ to go with me.”

“You just want to keep an eye on me.” Bucky scrunched his nose, watching as Natasha’s eyes shifted in thought. “So… what do I get if I go?”

_ Mistake number one, giving Natasha Romanov a chance to change your mind. _

Natasha grinned, almost too sweetly for Bucky to stomach. He was going to be in for it now. “I’ll treat you to your favorite Thai restaurant. Appetizer, entree, dessert, drinks, the whole nine yards.”

Bucky’s mouth twitched. He hated that she knew he was easily swayed by food.

“I’ll even make you  _ medovik. _ ”

_ Fuck. _

He sighed in defeat, cursing himself for being a dessert person. Natasha only made  _ medovik _ twice a year. She preferred savory things, but knew all too well that both Clint and Bucky fell in love with that honey slathered cake when she was assigned dessert for their building's potluck. 

“You drive a hard bargain, Romanov.” His frown eased into a half-smile. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

“Thanks, Bucky.”

Regret immediately spilled into his stomach. The food had better be worth it.

★ ★ ★

Steve hopped off the Q train, walking to the beat of the song he was listening to on his phone. He was a fast walker, as most New Yorkers were, but music managed to give him a little extra energy. He was making good time, checking his phone to see if there were any messages from other members of the Avengers Assembly. So far, Sam, Carol and Val were going to make it and they expected to have around the same amount of people, maybe some plus ones. 

The Avengers Assembly was created roughly five years ago when Sam and Steve attended a few protests together. They were joined at the hip since middle school and kept in touch even as their dreams led them to different colleges. Sam went to a CUNY that had a bachelor's in social work while Steve focused on his art. But they’d meet up on the weekends, volunteering together in their neighborhood and as the years went by, they grew more aware of their city and how many communities still weren’t getting their needs met. Originally they posted on social media, calling for a community forum in Prospect Park to discuss what their neighbors wanted, with little success. Only a dozen people came to talk the first time, but Steve and Sam saw it as a chance to grow. 

By the time Steve arrived, there was already a decent gathering of people at Fury Cafe. Steve noticed the familiar faces that usually showed up early to get their coffee fix before the meeting. As he walked in, Nick—or rather, just Fury—nodded at him in acknowledgment. They had met a few years back through Carol Danvers at another community event for Veterans where Steve happily auctioned off some of his paintings and offered to teach art therapy at the Vet Center. Steve and Fury didn’t always agree on how to get things done, but they respected each other and came to the same conclusion: they needed a change. That’s when Fury had brought up the Initiative Assembly, where his friends had met up to do everything in their power to change things for the better. They protested and petitioned for rights, calling representatives for every borough to ensure that the people got what they needed. Seeing as Steve and Sam had similar goals, they reinstituted the Assembly with the intent to right the injustices of a failing system.

“About time you showed up,” Fury said, spinning a toothpick between his teeth. As Steve approached the counter, Fury walked over to the coffee grinder, preparing for a fresh shot of espresso. “People are getting antsy.”

“Good to see you, too.” He reached for his back pocket, fishing for his wallet and pulled out a five, leaving it by the cash register. “Did you catch up with the news?”

“Yup.” Fury’s voice held disappointment and resignation, with little surprise. “Got a plan to deal with it?”

“Always.”

“Hey, Steve,” Sam called from the back of the cafe, wheeling the whiteboard out. Carol and Val followed behind him, carrying folded chairs under each arm. Right after Steve, Sam had the best handwriting and was able to write in a straight line. He popped the cap off of a marker and began to write some of their agenda for the night.

“Hey, guys.”

Once Fury finished up Steve’s drink, Steve grabbed it and took a careful sip. 

“Let’s get ready.”

★ ★ ★

Bucky found two seats while Natasha got their coffee. So far, the meeting hadn’t started yet, leaving everyone to talk to their friends, asking each other about their day, how they were doing. He didn’t know what to make of the people there, aside from the fact they seemed like everyday people. They were from different cultural backgrounds and ethnic groups, and Bucky almost found himself impressed. Almost. As soon as Bucky got a glimpse of the whiteboard, he rolled his eyes.  _ Oh, great. They’re idealists. _ Not that there was anything wrong with wanting something better. Bucky was all for change, but everything these days seemed so bleak with little to no chance of improving.

“Here you go,” Natasha said, taking the seat next to Bucky as she handed him a hot to-go cup. “Sugar with coffee.”

He stuck out his tongue, then went on to happily drink his sweet coffee. 

“Alright you guys,” Carol said, all eyes turning towards her. It never ceased to amaze anyone how Carol managed to capture an entire room’s attention. “Thanks for coming tonight. We have a few months until the election, and we still have a lot of people to reach out to.” 

“We’re a small group, but we’ve come too far to just give up now.” Steve looked around the room, then gestured to the two people next to him.

“Val will be handling canvassing. Since we have a limited number of people, we’re only canvassing early afternoons, so that gives us the first afternoon rush. Sam will assign phone banking. There’ll be text banking for those on the shy side.” Both smiled and waved as Steve addressed them. “And if you’re really, _really_ shy, we have postcards, thank you cards and newsletters that need to be sent out.”

_ Postcards? Who the hell reads postcards? _

“Are there any questions so far?”

Most people threw away election-related postcards, so what made this guy think people  _ wouldn’t _ throw away handwritten cards? Not to mention people speed walk past canvassers at every given moment and hang up on phone bankers. Bucky thought of every ignored candidate-endorsed text message he received for the past several years. In the last major election, Bucky read looked up some of the candidates and their policies. Some candidates admittedly seemed decent, but Bucky couldn’t bring himself to believe in them and their promises to change what needed to be changed. 

“What a waste of time,” he muttered under his breath. Natasha elbowed his side, nearly making him drop his coffee. 

“What the hell was that for,” Bucky half-whispered, half-shouted. 

Someone in another row shushed them, earning the attention of the hosts. 

“Do we have a question over there?” Steve asked.

Natasha’s eyes stabbed through Bucky, the message clear as day.  _ Don’t. Fucking. Start. _

Oh, but Bucky was going to bring it.

“I’m just having a hard time understanding what the point is,” he says flatly. Bucky feels Natasha kicking him, but he doesn’t care. “All the energy you put into it is going to be for nothing because it’s  _ rigged _ !”

Murmuring spread throughout the crowd, some waiting for the captains to take back the meeting and others telling Bucky to get out.

Carol held her hand out. “Let’s hear what he has to say. We’re a community. We need to listen to everyone’s feedback.” She nodded at Bucky, allowing him to continue.

“What we  _ should _ be doing is strengthening our local organizations instead of voting for some asshole who isn’t going to do anything.” Bucky folded his arms across his chest. “The system in place is filled with the greediest people, and they’ll use their positions of power to tire us out to the point where no one will speak out.”

He locked eyes with Steve, who inhaled deeply, and let out his breath slow and steady.

“We hear you on that,” Steve began. “And we agree. The people in power are corrupt and self-serving. That’s exactly why we need to vote them out. The people we campaign with have heard us and showed us that they’re dedicated through direct action.”

Did this guy have an answer for  _ everything _ ?

“When push comes to shove, and they don’t do anything, then what do you do?”

Bucky’s stare burned through Steve. He recognized the look—a challenge. This wasn’t the first time someone came to criticize their work and effort, and Bucky sure as hell wasn’t going to be the last. Steve exhaled through his nose, meeting Bucky’s gaze.

“We keep going.” 

Applause built up, going for a few seconds. It only furthered Bucky’s annoyance with the blonde man. But to his surprise, Steve waved it off. 

“I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. This is gonna take a lot of hard work from everyone. We need to be vigilant. Otherwise, it’s gonna come crashing down.”

Bucky leaned back in his seat, not admitting defeat but tabling the conversation. He wanted to have some words with that blonde, well-spoken but stupidly optimistic man when he had the chance. Something about Steve made bells go off in his head, but it felt a little different than just annoyance. When he thought about it, Steve looked  _ vaguely _ familiar. 

“Oh my fucking god,” Bucky whispered.

“What now,” Natasha asked.

“I know him.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “You know Steve?”

Bucky nodded. “Yeah. I think he was one of the people in holding with me.”

“Huh. Small world.”

Small fucking world indeed.

Truth be told, Bucky didn’t pay attention much to the voting information after that, only perking up when they brought up a joint project with another local non-profit to raise awareness for at-risk youth and harm reduction in the city. Bucky pulled out his phone, putting a reminder to check out the other organizations. From there, they opened the meeting to questions. Most of it had to do with assignments, so Bucky went back to tuning out the conversation, focusing instead on finishing his coffee.

By the time the meeting was pretty much over with, an hour and a half had passed. People continued to mingle, however, now that they had new information on what they could do and proceeded to sign up for volunteer hours. Natasha patted Bucky’s knee, then got up. 

“I think I’m gonna sign up for canvassing."

Although Bucky got up with her, he didn't go for the clipboards. Nope. Instead, a few cookies caught his eye. Curse his weakness to sweets. He grabbed a couple of cookies and a brownie with a napkin.

“Sweet tooth?”

Bucky’s head whipped around. Steve. He had to keep himself from obviously frowning.

“Guess you can say that,” he said, taking a bite out of a cookie.

“So what brings you to the Assembly?”

Bucky tossed his head over in Natasha’s direction. She was talking to one of the captains—Sam?—smiling in a way he’d only seen a few handful of times before.

“That’s my friend. She thought it’d be good for me to come.”

“Oh, so  _ that’s _ Natasha.”

What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

As if on cue, Natasha glanced over at Bucky and noticeably stepped closer, as if to keep tabs on him. 

“Yeah, after getting arrested at a protest a few weeks ago, she thought it’d be good for me to keep helping out in the community.”

“Oh, which protest were you at?”

Nosy bastard.

Bucky hummed. “I wasn’t really at the protest, but some people were getting their asses kicked by the cops. They weren’t even violent so… I tried to help.”

Steve’s eyes widened a bit. “Wait a sec.” He stared at Bucky, eyes squinting in assessment until he lit up.

“Oh, I think I remember you!” 

_ And here we go. _

“We were picked up at Crown Heights, right?”

Bucky nodded, shoving the rest of the cookie in his mouth.

“Yeah, that was for the teachers’ union. We got another budget cut, and we’re barely making it by the skin of our teeth.”

Huh. Somehow Steve didn’t strike Bucky as the teacher type. What was he teaching, anyways? Social studies? English? Math? And maybe he was one of those do-gooders that stayed after school to help kids catch up. Not that doing that was a bad thing. God knows schools need more teachers like that.

“So why are you here anyways? Aren’t you a ‘whole ass communist’,” he said, fingers in the air making quotation marks.

He felt Natasha’s gaze on him like a fire.

“Well,” Bucky continued. “That's what you and that one guy were talking about when we were in holding?”

Steve laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners. “I want someone who represents everyday people. The people in power are supposed to serve  _ us _ , the people, and look how well that’s going. There isn’t a threshold on either end. The rich get richer and the poor lose more and more.” 

Maybe they had more in common than they thought.

“Look, maybe just give us a shot? You’re not gonna know until you try, right?” Steve offered a small smile, and Bucky hated it. That face, those earnest eyes, kept him from stepping back. 

“...fine,” Bucky muttered. “I’ll try it your way. What should I sign up for?”

“Well, what do you think you have time for? On Fridays, some of us are here around five to work on postcards and textbanking.”

Bucky wrinkled his nose at the thought of talking to other people. Normally, he liked being left alone so he couldn’t imagine bugging other people endlessly to convince them to vote. Postcards, as dumb as it sounded, seemed to be the least amount of effort. 

“I could swing by on Friday,” he said finally. 

Steve grabbed a clipboard from the table and handed it to Bucky. “Alright. Just put your name down here, your email and your cell, just in case. And if you still don’t like it, you don’t have to stay.”

“I mean…” Bucky shrugged as he filled out his information. He was going to regret this, wasn’t he? “Natasha might keep me here. I’ve seen that woman bring down men bigger than us with her bare hands.”

That made Steve chuckle. Goddamn it. How the hell was Bucky supposed to dislike this guy if his face lit up like the sun? He placed the clipboard back on the table, only for Steve to pick it up and look through it.

“So, Bucky Barnes, I’ll see you around the neighborhood?”

“Yeah. See ya, Steve."

Bucky looked up to where Natasha was, only to find that she wasn’t there anymore. He quickly glanced around the room and saw that she was waiting by the door, finishing up her coffee. He gladly walked over to her, ready to leave.

“That took a while,” she said simply. Bucky couldn’t quite make out the expression on her face. 

He opened the door, motioning for her to leave before him. “He was yappin’ my ear off a bit.”

Natasha tossed her coffee cup in the compost. As they stepped out to the sidewalk, they noticed there was still a good number of people out and about, most likely going home like they were or going off to grab dinner. “What’d you think?”

“Eh. Not as bad as I thought it’d be,” Bucky shrugged. “At least we can all agree that things are going to shit.”

“Mhmm. And what are your thoughts on the captains?”

“They seemed fine. Level-headed. Steve was okay, I guess. I don’t really have a strong opinion?”

Natasha snorted. “You? Not having a strong opinion? I don’t believe it.”

Bucky gave her a wry smile. “It’s more likely than you think.”

“You wanna know what I think?” 

Bucky didn’t like the Cheshire grin on her face. He tilted his head, mouth twisting. “No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me anyways.”

“I think,” she said, face completely serious. “You have a crush on one of the captains.”

“ _ What _ ,” he asked flatly. However, his face soon betrayed him, cheeks growing pink. “I don’t know what you're talking about.

“Oh, I think you do. We both know you got a thing for blondes.”

“Not Clint,” he corrected. 

“So we agree that you like blondes. And maybe you like one of the captains. I’m thinking it’s Steve.”

Oh,  _ hell _ no.

“Shut up,” Bucky grumbled. “If anything he annoys me.”

“He gets under your skin, and then you can’t stop thinking about him.” God, he hated the sing-songy-ness to her voice and she could tell.

“That’s because you brought him up,” he blurted out, eyebrows furrowing.

“I’m just saying, I wouldn’t blame you. Clearly he works out.”

Natasha got him there. He might as well be a Greek statue come to life.

“Maybe you’re the one with a crush on Steve.” It was a childish and pathetic effort, but that was all Bucky could muster.

“Oh, so it  _ is _ a crush.”

“Quit putting things in my mouth!”

Natasha threw her hands up in the air. “You said it, not me.” 

The rest of the walk home, Bucky was annoyed, mainly because Bucky was human and fuck, Steve was easy on the eyes. But he was still a self-righteous prick. At least, Bucky was telling himself that. By the time they got back, Bucky was filled with the scent of whatever delicious food there was. He hadn’t noticed how hungry he was until then, even after all the cookies he shoved in his face.

“Hey guys,” Clint said, mouth full of food and sauce on his cheek. “I made some stir fry!”

Bless this man. Bucky sighed in appreciation. “Thank god because I’m starving.” 

“So what’d I miss at the meeting?”

Bucky’s shoulders slumped as he went straight for the kitchen. He hastily grabbed a plate and a fork, then piled on some stir fry and rice.

“We’re getting some key speakers, there’s gonna be a volunteer party and Bucky has a crush on Steve.”

Clint coughed, trying desperately not to choke on his food. “What the hell? Why do I always miss the good stuff?”

“You didn’t miss anything,” Bucky called from the kitchen. “Because I do  _ not _ have a crush on Steve.”

“Very prickly for someone who doesn’t have a crush.”

Scratch that. Fuck Clint for siding with Natasha.

★ ★ ★

Sam and Steve stayed behind to help Fury clean up. After everything was put away and the shop closed and locked up, they parted ways, Sam and Steve heading for the same station. Overall, the meeting and sign-ups were considered a success, even if there was one skeptic in the crowd. Before he could say anything, Steve was humming. Fucking _humming_. There was an extra pep to his step, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Sam. In all the years he’d known Steve, Sam only saw this dumb look on Steve’s face when he was absolutely  _ smitten _ .

“Someone looks happy,” he remarked, smirking as Steve’s steps slowed.

“I dunno.” Steve shrugged. “I’m just feeling… optimistic.”

“You always are, but I don’t think that’s it."

And it was true. Steve was usually like an overgrown puppy, excited for change, ready for a challenge. But there was something different to Steve’s stride. 

“Well, there’s a lot going on, a lot we gotta do. But I have a good feeling about it.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

They continued down the street until their paths diverged, both promising to text each other when they got home. Steve continued walking, not living too far from the cafe to begin with. Besides, with all the coffee he had, Steve’s mind was going a mile a second, so tiring himself out by walking didn’t seem to be a bad idea. And New York was a sleepless city anyhow. Restaurants and some stores were still open, so Steve wasn’t the only one still outside. 

Although he thought about grabbing some takeout for dinner, Steve shook his head, remembering all the free space in his wallet. It’s not as if his art hadn’t been selling or that he didn’t try putting himself out there for freelance. He didn’t live beyond his means either, but simply living in New York was expensive, especially now that he was out of college. His two part-time jobs—at the VA and as an afterschool art teacher—paid decently, and yet Steve found himself short at the end of every month. Steve still had a fair amount in his savings from the scholarships he earned in his  _ senior year _ , determined not to touch it. 

And sometimes that meant eating a spam sandwich for dinner. 

His apartment was a modest one-bedroom, with wooden floors peppered with spots of paint. The walls were a soft gray, though they were thin enough for Steve to hear his neighbors laughing, arguing, fucking, you name it. After sending a quick text to Sam that, yes, he made it home in one piece, Steve grabbed an apple and two tangerines from the bowl of assorted fruits on his counter. Truth be told, he was too tired to make anything. Once he was finished with his “dinner,” he shucked off his clothes, leaving them on the floor, and slipped into some well-worn sweatpants before landing on his bed with a soft  _ oof _ .

Steve yawned, surrendering to a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please heed some of the tags! That's right peeps, smut will ensue!

In the next several days, Bucky received both text and email reminders for the postcard writing session. He still didn’t really feel like doing it, but he was a man of his word. By the time Friday rolled around, Bucky found himself a few blocks away from the cafe, hands in his pockets. 

The cafe was busy, as expected of a Friday afternoon, and he recognized some faces from the last meeting. They were grouped together near the back, going back and forth between scribbling away, texting and taking sips of their coffee. And sure enough, Steve was there, typing away on a laptop with several stacks of folders next to him. He managed to shift his focus onto Bucky as he took a few steps into the cafe, smiling and waving him over.

“Hey, Bucky!” 

Bucky’s cheeks immediately warmed as Steve came over. Did they keep the heat up in this place? It didn’t help that Steve got up and bee-lined straight to him.

“Glad to see you could make it.” 

“I said I’d be here,” Bucky said quietly, doing his best to avoid eye contact. 

“Well, feel free to get a drink and join us when you’re ready.” 

A wave of relief overcame him when Steve went back to the table, sitting down and talking with the others. Bucky muttered a curse under his breath as he approached the counter. Fury put down his newspaper—people still read those?—and stood up. 

“What’ll it be,” he said gruffly, without looking at Bucky.

“Um…”

Judging from the look of the place, especially that “coffee or death” sign up on the wall, Bucky figured that the man behind the counter took his coffee seriously. And Bucky, being a heathen, was a slut for every sugary coffee drink known to man. He could only imagine the judgment Natasha must have gotten pouring all that sugar into his coffee the last time he was there.

“Uh, can I get a small caramel latte?”

Milk and caramel would be sweet enough, right?

“That’ll be $3.75. I’ll call you when it’s ready”

Bucky nodded awkwardly before heading to the table Steve had set up. 

“I assume that you have immaculate handwriting,” Steve joked, lips curled into a smile.

“I’d say it’s decent.” It’s not as if Bucky wrote only in chicken scratch, but he was no calligrapher either.

“In any case, can you write down a test sentence?” He handed Bucky a pen and an index card. “How ‘bout ‘the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog’?”

Bucky snorted. Of course Steve would pick something so basic. He wrote out the sentence, each word neatly printed and in a straight line, with Steve looking over his shoulder, probably in the same way he did to his students.

“See,” he said with pride. “Immaculate handwriting.”

“Alright, so here’s how this works,” Steve began. “We have different categories for the postcards and thank you notes, with corresponding templates for each category. We send postcards to those who aren’t on the early voting registration list, those who have donated to us on an ongoing basis and those who have donated to us for the first time. Are you with me so far?”

Bucky nodded. Sweet Moses, how much work did he plan on making him do? Steve opened up one of the folders, pulling out a single page filled with names, addresses and other relevant information—at least, Bucky assumed it was all relevant.

“You can get started with people who aren’t on the voting registration list. These are twenty addresses. Just follow the template and don’t forget to include their voting county.”

Bucky took the list, impressed. “How the hell do you guys get these addresses?”

“Voter registration information is available upon request, believe it or not,” Steve explained. He let out a small laugh when he saw Bucky’s eyes get wide. 

“Don’t worry, they’re from the campaigns.  _ We  _ don’t get them. They’re given to us from the candidates we work with. And either way, we black out the information when we’re done and shred it.”

_ Okay. That’s the responsible thing to do. _

“All the postcards we get are from the post office. They’re pre-stamped, and we had someone already go through and add lines to separate the message from the address. All you have to do now is write everything according to the template.”

“One caramel latte!”

Both Steve and Bucky looked up as Fury placed the drink up on the counter for Bucky to take. As Bucky headed over, Steve sat back down in his seat. 

“I’m going to be working on the newsletter,” he said, bringing most of his attention back to his laptop screen. “But feel free to ask anyone questions if you’re unsure of something.”

“Alright.” Bucky took out his wallet and pulled out five dollars. He traded it for the coffee, leaving the bill on the counter, Nick nodding in appreciation. 

It took Bucky about half an hour, but he managed to find a rhythm to writing the postcards. His method was monotonous, and given that every message had to be more or less the same, Bucky figured that was for the best, despite being somewhat of a chore. He still didn’t really know what to say to the volunteers, but they were friendly enough, letting him know that if he needed anything, they were there to help. Either way, they didn’t bother him as he took out his earbuds and listened to music as he moved on to the next batch of twenty postcards. And the next. And the next. And the next. As he finished up his final postcard for the day, the sun had made its crawl towards the horizon, tinting the sky warm. 

“And… that’s the last,” he said, signing his first name and placing the final postcard on the pile. He stretched into a yawn, covering his mouth, only to blink in surprise. 

He was the last volunteer.

It was just him and Steve left.

“Looks good.” Steve stacked them together, tapping them on the table to get them nice and even. “Thanks again for helping out. You… you stayed for a pretty long time.”

“S’not a problem.” He got up and pushed in his chair, not wanting to look up at Steve. Meeting his gaze would mean defeat. Well, not really. But it felt that way. “Not like I had a lot to do anyways.”

“If you need something to do, I’m sure I can think of  _ something _ to keep you occupied.” Bucky’s eyebrows furrowed as his head tilted to the side. His eyes darted up, wondering what in the fuck did Steve mean, only to see the blonde’s face turn a faint shade of red. 

Oh.

_ Wait a sec—  _

“I-I mean, with stuff like this! We could use your help next week!”

A weight was lifted from Bucky’s chest as he sighed in relief, lips twitching into a smile. 

“Just, y’know. Um.” Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “Same time, same place. Obviously. I mean, where else are we gonna meet? That would be weird. Anyways. I’ll. Uh. Send you an email.”

Huh. So as it turns out, Steve Rogers  _ doesn’t _ always speak like a motivational poster. He’s human after all.

“Yeah. See you around.”

Once Bucky left the cafe, Steve’s stomach twisted at the snicker coming from behind him.

“That was like watching a car crash,” Fury quipped, lips tugging into a smirk as he took a sip of his drink. 

“I know, I know.” Steve rolled his eyes. Steve Rogers, master of rousing speeches, and failure of flirting. He finished off the rest of his drink, feeling miserable for himself. 

“You have the soul of an artist, but you have absolutely no game.”

“Do you have anything stronger than coffee,” Steve asked, crushing his disposable cup. “I want something to erase that moment. Forever, if possible.”

Fury just laughed as Steve sank back into his seat, ears burning and heart beating wildly.

★ ★ ★

The next few weeks pass by, uneventful, just like that. Bucky would go to the cafe, write some postcards and make small talk with the other volunteers. There was America, who volunteered after class with her girlfriend, Kate. Then there was Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson, two lawyers who offer free legal assistance with protest arrests. Turns out, they were the reason Natasha was able to pick him up from jail the night he was brought in. 

“See,” Natasha said “They do their part for the community.”

“Never said they didn’t,” Bucky grumbled. “I just don’t like—”

“—playing a rigged game, I know.”

Before he knew it, Bucky increased the number of times he went to Fury Cafe, going twice a week. He even stayed until closing a few times, surprising both himself  _ and _ Steve. They even walked to the station together, though mostly without conversation as Bucky drowned out everyone and everything with music. What would he even say to Steve outside of writing postcards and organizing newsletters? It’s not like they were friends. Bucky just happened to go to the same volunteer hours Steve hosted. 

The next community meeting was more open to dialogue rather than just being informational. Some of the attendants—mainly parents—brought up the worry over the announced budget cuts for the after school programs. Most parents didn’t have the luxury to pay for babysitters, and after school programs were the best way to keep their kids safe. 

“I’m a single mom.”

“I have two jobs.”

“I don’t have anyone to ask to watch my kids.”

“Why are the Community Schools getting hit the hardest?”

Steve leaned back in his seat, exhaling a long breath, as Sam cleared his throat.

“We’re contacting our most underfunded schools and get the faculty and parents to reach out to their local representatives. We can come up with a base letter to send out, that way everyone can personalize it. We’re hoping that they can’t ignore all of us.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“Then we march,” he said, voice even, and convincing. 

Steve knew he couldn’t follow that up, especially not now. His mind was too clouded, too focused on containing the emotions he felt. Anger. Disappointment. Sadness.

Fear.

By the time the forum came to a close, Steve still hadn’t said much, and that didn’t go unnoticed. As the captains started cleaning up, putting tables back to their original places, he managed to shuffle away, pretending to look over the leftover printouts they had for people to take.

“Hey, you okay?” 

Steve turned around and offered Carol a soft smile. “Yeah, just… a lot to think about is all.”

She gave him an unbelieving look, hands resting on her hips. “Yeah. Maria and I… we’re thinking about Monica a lot. We want what’s best for her. For everyone.”

“Me too.”

She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and as she left to help Val put a table away, Sam approached him.

“Did you hear back from them,” he asked.

Steve shook his head, looking down at the floor. “No, not yet. But Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for taking the lead today.” He heaved a sigh and leaned back against the counter, arms folded across his chest. “I’m just not…”

“Hey, I get it. Y’know, if you need anything, all you gotta do is ask.” 

His eyes flicked up to meet Sam’s. He knew all too well that all he had to do was ask for help. But Steve Rogers was a stubborn shit and if he could still get by on his own, there’d be no stopping him.

“I know.”

Sam sighed, in a way Steve knew that he was, well, not disappointed. It’s just that he knew that Steve knew that he was in deep shit. After all these years, Steve would be surprised if Sam  _ wasn’t _ aware, to be honest. 

He narrowed his eyes at Steve for a few moments, giving him the ‘I’m watching you’ hand gesture, but eased up. 

“You’re lucky I already have plans tonight. Otherwise I’d be following you home.”

Steve raised an eyebrow, but immediately smiled when he looked over at the doorway, where Natasha was waving at Sam.

“So you finally asked her out?”

“Why are you so surprised? You’re the one that lacks experience.” Sam brought his hand to Steve’s forehead and flicked him. “Can’t even get a conversation in without gettin’ all tongue-tied.”

“Amen to that,” Fury chimed as he checked the till. 

The blonde rolled his eyes. “I’m not  _ that _ bad.”

“Oh yeah? I’ll believe it when I see it. Good night, Steve.”

“Have fun.”

“Go on. Get outta here.” Steve looked over at Fury, who was shooing him away. “We can finish up. And Steve? Don’t mess it up.”

“What are you talking about?”

Fury didn’t respond, not that Steve was surprised. 

Sam and Natasha were already gone. But underneath the streetlamp was Bucky, whose cheeks and nose had reddened from the cold night. His hands were buried in his pockets, until he noticed Steve standing in front of the cafe. He waved him over and though the air was chilly, a warmth bloomed in Steve’s chest. Steve couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment in time when the sight of Bucky instantly stirred his heart into mush.

“Goddamn, you took forever. I was waiting for you,” Bucky said, rubbing his hands. “... you okay?”

Oh. So maybe this was what Fury meant.

“Aw, you  _ do _ care,” Steve said with a grin that was almost convincing. But not quite.

“Oh, shut it.” Bucky kicked at a pebble, his hands shoved into his pockets. “It’s just that you’re usually talkin’ someone’s ear off but today, you were different.”

“There’s just a lot going on.”

“I was just thinking that it wouldn’t be bad to walk to the station together. Seein’ as you’re going solo today.”

“Look at you, payin’ attention to lil’ ol’ me.” He tried to sound as playful as possible as they started walking side by side. Close, but not too close. Steve really, really tried. And he hated himself for  _ wanting _ Bucky to notice him, to look his way. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to pick me up.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Rogers.” 

Ah.  _ That’s right _ , Steve thought.  _ He wouldn’t like me like that. _

Steve opened his mouth to ask why Bucky even bothered to wait but before he could get a word out, they heard a few voices. 

“I  _ know _ you guys are following me!”

“An’ what you gonna do ‘bout it?”

“Yeah? Whatchu gonna do sweetheart?”

As they walked a few more steps, the scene was easy to see. A small group of men were tagging behind a young woman, who clutched her bag tighter with each step. Even though he didn’t notice it, Steve’s hands were balling up into fists as he stared them down.

“Shit,” Bucky muttered, voice dripping with disgust.

“Just leave me alone!”

“C’mon, lady. Have a few drinks with us! We’ll show you a good time!”

“Hey!” Steve shouted, crossing the street and taking quick steps over to them, posture strong and voice authoritative. “Leave her alone. She’s not interested.”

The man spun around, breath soaked in beer. “Who the hell are you?” 

“Your problem, if you keep bothering her.” Steve swiftly grabbed one of the men’s arm, twisting it back, making the man yelp in pain. He turned his head toward the young woman, her eyes wide. 

“Go! Go now!”

She nodded, then bolted, with no time to thank Steve as she sprinted down the street and turned the corner. One of the other men groaned while another shoved Steve, making him lose his grip.

“Ha! Looks like we got a hero,” he jeered as he threw a punch, landing smack onto Steve’s nose. Steve staggered back a few steps, feeling a warm stickiness dripping from his nostrils to his lips with a metallic taste. He held up his fists in front of himself, then launched a few quick jabs. But as quick as he was, two of the men kicked him down.

“What, a pretty boy like you gonna throw down with the big boys? There’s four of us, and one a’ you.”

“Oh shut up, you sad sack of shit.”

Bucky kicked one of the men, straight between the legs. He wasn’t a stickler for rules and when you’re outnumbered, there was no such thing as a dirty trick. 

“Who’re you? His sidekick?”

He swung around, kicking down another man while Steve got up, throwing a few good punches of his own. 

As soon as all of the men were down, Steve and Bucky ran to the nearest station, neither bothering to swipe a metrocard. Some people stared at them as they came to a halt, desperately trying to catch their breaths. 

“Fuckin’ hell,” Bucky gritted through his teeth. 

“You can say that again.” Steve inhaled deeply. “I haven’t had that much excitement in months.”

He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back, only to notice the red splotches on his shirt as he looked down. The stains were still fresh, but drying into a deep red-brown. Steve was pretty sure it was the adrenaline pumping through him that made him forget momentarily that his nose was  _ still _ running like a faucet. A bloody, gory faucet.

And he couldn’t help but crack up in a fit of laughter.

“O-Oh, oh my  _ god _ ,” he said between giggles. “It won’t fucking stop.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you,” Bucky asked, although he was clearly smiling. As he looked over at Bucky, he laughed even harder, grinning so hard his cheeks were starting to hurt. If people weren’t looking at them before, they were definitely looking now. 

“Your fucking face!” Steve wheezed. “Your eye!”

“What about my eye?” Bucky took out his phone, turning on the camera, only to see a bruise forming around it. And with his messy hair, he looked something like a greasy raccoon. He couldn’t help himself from laughing either, joining Steve in a giggle fit as the train pulled into the station.

“C’mon, let me patch you up at my place. I don’t live that far,” Steve said, though he instantly regretted it. He was allowed one bold action, and earlier, he took it making sure that woman got away. Bucky could just go home and take care of himself. But to Steve’s surprise, Bucky hooked his arm around Steve’s shoulder and leaned against him. 

“Lead the way, Dr. Rogers.”

Steve snickered, his face growing redder than he wanted.

★ ★ ★

Bucky didn’t know what to make of Steve’s apartment. He wasn’t sure what to expect when they walked up the flight of stairs as Steve fished for his keys. There was a stack of large canvases leaning against the wall, piles of books and all of his furniture looked worn down. Somehow he thought Steve, confident and commanding, would be living in a house that wasn’t so disarrayed. Steve went straight for the kitchen, fumbling around in the freezer while Bucky followed behind him.

“Just sit down there,” Steve said, pointing towards the dining table. Bucky obliged and pulled out a chair, body still aching as he leaned back.

“Here, let me see that eye.” 

Bucky lifted his head, wincing under the coolness of the ice pack—which was really just a ziploc back with ice—Steve pressed over the fresh bruise. Steve muttered an apology as he held it there, his other hand cupping Bucky’s face, angling it under the light. After the past few weeks of getting to know him, Bucky still found Steve Rogers to be an anomaly. Here he was, making sure Bucky was okay, taking care of his black eye while blood still dripped from his nose, though not as intensely.

“It’s one hell of a shiner.”

“What about you,” Bucky asked. He turned his face away, swatting at Steve’s hands until the blonde surrendered, letting Bucky hold the ice pack on his own. “How’s your nose?”

“It’s fine,” he said, sniffling. “Not the first time my big ass nose has been a target.”

“You pickin’ fights everywhere you go?”

“When I was a kid, yeah.” Steve grabbed some napkins, rolling them up and sticking them up his nose. “I just really hate bullies and creeps. If that woman getting home safe means getting a broken nose, I’ll take a broken nose every time.”

“How noble of you,” Bucky said. “But yeah, fuck those guys. Maybe they’ll learn to leave people alone.”

Steve scrunched his face. “I hope so. How’re you feeling? Any other injuries? I got some ibuprofen if you need it.”

Damn, can’t this guy worry about himself for once?

Bucky shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Thanks, though.” He put the ice pack down. “God, tomorrow’s gonna be a pain. Told Natasha I was just gonna relax tonight. She’s gonna be pissed when she sees me tomorrow.”

“There’s a good chance Sam is gonna kick my ass tomorrow, too.” He took out the napkins from his nose and inspected them. The bleeding pretty much stopped, thank fuck, so he balled them up and tossed them into the garbage. 

“Let me see your eye again.”

“Sure,” Bucky said, sounding confused. “I don’t know what good is gonna come out of looking at it again.

“I was just thinking.” Steve cupped Bucky’s face, tilting it upwards. His thumb brushed right under Bucky’s eye, not that Steve was really paying attention to the darkened bruise. He was too wrapped up, being pulled into those piercing gray-blue eyes. And Bucky had to have noticed, because he scooted closer. Steve contemplated a careful kiss, completely experimental before jumping in, just in case Bucky didn’t want it. But before he could move, Bucky closed the gap between them, pressing their lips together.

Steve felt static shooting down to his fingertips, ecstatic and eager. They wasted no time, skipping any shyness, their kisses were open, teeth clacking, drinking each other in as Steve led them to his room. His hands were tugging at the collar of Bucky’s shirt as he began to unbutton it clumsily, fingers fumbling every step of the way. 

“If we’re gonna fuck,” Steve said between kisses, breathless. “You better fuck me like you mean it.”

He wrapped his arms around Bucky’s shoulders, pulling him down onto the bed with him. Steve squirmed underneath him, Bucky eyes darkened, clouded with the primal need to keep Steve pinned down and claim him. But he had patience, and wouldn’t it be better to have Steve beg for it? 

“Yeah?” Bucky cupped Steve’s face, then slid his hand up to grab a fistful of hair. The blonde’s face grew hot as he whimpered, and Bucky could feel his jeans tightening. “Want me to fuck you so hard you can’t walk tomorrow?

Steve nodded eagerly, bottom lip caught between his teeth.

_ Fuck _ .

“Then strip,” he commanded as he unbuckled his belt. “And get on your hands and knees.”

Bucky grabbed Steve’s wrists, bringing them to the headboard. He looped his belt around them, and one of the rungs.

“Tight enough for you?” Bucky gave a few tugs on the belt, making sure that Steve’s bound wrists were secure.

“Yeah. Are you fucking me or not,” Steve said, impatient as he rolled his hips back. The friction against Bucky’s clothed dick was almost too much, his hips snapping forward on their own. He raised his hand, raining down quick smacks on Steve’s ass until it was obscenely red. Steve yelped at the first impact, but groaned at how aggressive Bucky became, chest heaving from excitement. 

“Gotta do something about that mouth of yours first.” Bucky stripped off his jeans, then his boxers, and leaned over to hold the underwear near Steve’s mouth.

“Open up.”

Steve obeyed, parting his lips as wide as he could so he could shove the underwear in, muffling him. 

“If you wanna stop, snap your fingers three times,” he said. “Go on, show me you can do it.”

Steve’s hands trembled, but he managed to do it, snapping his fingers in quick succession. 

“Good.”

He dipped his head between Steve’s cheeks, spreading them apart, and licked a long stripe from his balls to his hole. Steve nearly squealed, cock throbbing as Bucky pulled back, only to blow lightly against the moistened skin. 

“Fuck, Steve,” Bucky murmured, giving Steve a few more licks. “Look so good. Taste good, too.”

There was nothing else in the world but Bucky’s mouth, lapping at Steve’s ass, pushing his tongue past the tight ring of muscle. His breathing hitched, and he was both terrified and delighted at being completely at Bucky’s mercy, to be his little plaything. And Bucky, in turn, found Steve absolutely intoxicating. He could eat Steve for hours,  _ days _ , even, and not get tired of it. But his own cock was aching, dribbling precome. With a groan, Bucky pulled up and gave Steve another firm smack. 

“M’gonna put it in,” he whispered in Steve’s ear, leaning forward.

Bucky kissed his way down Steve’s back as he rubbed the wet tip of his cock in circles around Steve’s rim. He could hear Steve’s muted, throaty moan as he sank into the blonde’s tight heat, gripping his hips so hard, he was nearly bruising. Not even halfway in and it took all of his willpower not to come.

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Bucky muttered, going  _ in, in, in,  _ until he bottomed out, completely surrounded by Steve.

He pulled out, almost all the way but not quite, the head of his cock still buried in Steve. It was agonizing, how slowly he thrusted back in. Steve whimpered, walls tightening around Bucky as if to trap him and keep him inside forever. Most of his weight shifted forward, straining his arms as Bucky began to pick up the pace, hips snapping forward. He was going to be so fucking sore tomorrow morning, but if it meant that this was going to be burned into his memory for the rest of his life, Steve didn’t care.

“God, you feel so fucking good,” Bucky growled, landing a few more smacks on Steve’s reddened ass. “This small hole a-yours just keeps suckin’ me in.”

Steve did his best to rock his hips back, to desperately match the brutal rhythm, but struggled and whined through the cotton fabric. He tried to voice what he wanted, and all he wanted was to be touched  _ more _ . His cock was so fucking hard and dripping and bouncing from every thrust and god, maybe he could come just like that. 

“That’s it,” Bucky crooned. “Look at you, takin’ me so well.” He snaked a hand up Steve’s back, to his neck, going up until he covered Steve’s eyes and pulled him back, making Steve arch. Now at a loss of most of his senses, Steve realized how goddamn sensitive he was and fuck, feeling his hole stretching and stretching was almost too much. 

“Here’s your reward for being so good.”

Steve yelped as Bucky wrapped his free hand around his cock, stroking him furiously with just the right amount of pressure. 

“Go ahead,” he urged. “Lemme see you let go.”

All it took was Bucky’s blessing for him to come the hardest he’s ever come in  _ years _ . His choking, guttural groan filled the room as his vision nearly whited out, eyes rolling to the back of his head. Ropes of white splattered onto the sheets and on his stomach as he went completely lax, solely being held up by the belt. Bucky was still going, only for his hips to stutter as he filled Steve up, and he could have sworn Bucky whispered his name.

Steve’s chest heaved heavily while Bucky removed his hand from his eyes to his mouth, removing the boxers. He gasped for air, shivering at the loss of Bucky’s hand around him and at how slow he pulled out.

“Let’s get you outta this.”

Bucky shifted over to the headboard and fumbled with the belt until he had it unraveled, falling somewhere between the bed and the wall, not that he cared at the moment. His eyes raked over Steve as he settled on his back, trying to catch his breath. Steve’s body was glistening with sweat and come and was glowing with a gorgeous deep blush. But as he trailed down, Bucky’s mouth watered at Steve’s still-hard dick.

And it gave him the best idea. 

“Fuck, Bucky,” Steve breathed. “That was amazing.”

He flashed Steve a cocky smile. “Oh yeah? Looks like it wasn’t enough for you.” Bucky’s hand drifted over to Steve’s prick, tracing it from base to tip with a finger. Steve vibrated under his touch, almost relieved when Bucky’s hand went further up, fingers scooping the cooling come off his stomach. He rubbed it with his fingers and thumb, much to Steve’s embarrassment. 

“Wh-What are you—” 

“— _ shhhhhhh _ .” He nudged himself between Steve’s legs, nuzzling his face in the crevice where his thigh met his groin. “Gonna put on a show for you.”

Bucky spread his own legs, bringing his come-covered fingers between his ass cheeks, wetting his own hole. Steve’s breath caught in his throat, head thrown back as Bucky’s tongue lapped over his balls.

“Fuckin’  _ look _ at me,” Bucky half-shouted, making Steve tear up. He willed himself to watch as Bucky took the tip of his cock in his mouth, tongue swirling in slow, torturous circles as he plunged two fingers inside of himself. Steve gripped onto the sheets, crying out, his knuckles turning white as Bucky moaned, swallowing more of him down. He bobbed his head, sucking on his way up, humming as he went down. Steve couldn’t help it and his hips rushed forward, but Bucky took it in stride, letting Steve hear how he’d gladly choke on his dick as a full-time job. When Bucky finally pulled off, he did so with a loud, wet  _ pop _ .

“Relax,” he said, straddling Steve, lining himself up with Steve’s cock. He let out a long exhale, then slowly sank down, Steve’s blunt, red tip slipping into him.

Bucky was going to kill him. Steve could see his headstone now. Here lies Steven Grant Rogers, fucked to death. The best/worst part was that Bucky didn’t even bother to start off slow. As soon as Steve was fully sheathed in his ass, Bucky moved like his life depended on it. And Steve was still so  _ sensitive _ from his first orgasm and here he was, laying there with a gorgeous man riding the ever-living hell out of him, pupils blown and a stare filled with nothing but hunger. He chanted Bucky’s name over and over, babbling on about how fucking tight he was and it was too good and— 

“You gonna come again,” Bucky asked, voice dripping with need. “C’mon, Rogers. Fill me up with that thick load.”

“ _ Christ _ ,” Steve rasped. “M’gonna come, Buck.”

“Do it,” he ordered, grinding his hips harder and bringing a hand to his own aching cock. “Fuckin’ _come_.”

And he came sobbing, hips thrusting up with every spurt into Bucky, hands grabbing onto his ass like a lifeline, tensing. 

“There we go, there we  _ fuckin’ _ go.” Bucky pulled Steve’s hand away and lifted off of him, moving up as he stroked himself, cock inches away from Steve’s face.

“Say ‘ _ ah _ ’,” he growled.

Steve opened his mouth eagerly, reaching out with one hand to cup Bucky’s balls, thumb moving in circles. Bucky grabbed a fistful of Steve’s hair, bringing his face closer until those pink lips were right there.

“Fuck,  _ fuck _ .” 

Bucky thrusted into his hand, painting Steve’s mouth and cheeks white, in awe of how goddamn pretty he looked with his eyes closed and lips parted. Steve sighed into it, sticking his tongue out to taste as much as he could. With his thumb and forefinger, Bucky brought most of his come into Steve’s mouth, groaning when the blonde started sucking on his fingers, trying to savor every last bit. 

“Bucky, that was—”

“—amazing, right?” 

Steve smiled dumbly, completely blissed out. “Yeah.”

Bucky leaned down and pressed a kiss into Steve’s forehead. “We’re pretty gross. Should we shower now, or wait ‘til morning?”

_ Til morning? _

Bucky actually wanted to stay the night?

“Uhh…” Steve scrunched his nose then laughed. “Yeah, we should probably shower now. You’re lucky I did the laundry the other day. Got fresh sheets and everything.”

“Lucky me.” He gave Steve a quick peck on the cheek.  _ Yeah _ , Steve thought.  _ Lucky me. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They had sex! *confetti cannon*
> 
> I would've updated sooner but man, PMS is a bitch and adds to gender dysphoria like you wouldn't believe. 
> 
> Summer is coming to an end, meaning some of y'all will be going back to school (as will I /ugly sobs). Please take care of yourselves, mentally and physically! Treat yourself to a nice cup of tea, coffee, whatever your favorite drink is! 
> 
> If you're diggin' this story please leave a comment/kudos! They really make my day in this bleak as fuck period in our lives. And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an update. See y'all next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Morning came gently. Steve was warm, tangled in the sheets, head pressed against Bucky’s chest as it rose and fell with his soft breathing. He didn’t remember falling asleep. As far as he was concerned, he knocked out after Bucky fucked him into next week. But at some point, they showered and despite everything they did last night, Bucky working the shampoo into Steve’s hair was the most intimate thing and on a completely different level. They managed to get to bed without much teasing, both truly tired from the day. Steve let Bucky borrow a shirt and a pair of briefs, and from there, they fell asleep, content.

Steve stared up to steal a glance at Bucky’s face. He found himself mesmerized by the way Bucky’s dark locks framed his face, vulnerably unkempt. He had a longing to touch this man’s face, to tuck the loose strands behind his ear. But maybe that was a step too far. A bit too much.

Despite feeling comfortable, Steve willed himself to peel away from Bucky, making sure that the other man was still covered under the sheets. He padded over to the kitchen with breakfast on his mind. Thankfully, he recently got paid and had gone grocery shopping recently, managing to have enough food to look like a functioning human being. If Bucky had come over a few weeks ago, he would have been appalled by the lack of fresh food. He placed some breakfast sausages in a hot pan, filling the kitchen with that satisfying sizzling. Steve quickly put some coffee on with just enough time to flip the sausage over and crack some eggs into another pan. Did Bucky like his eggs fried? Or was he a scrambled egg kind of guy? And did Steve have enough bread for toast?

“Good morning.”

Steve jumped a bit as a pair of arms tugged him into a loose hug. 

“What, you didn’t get enough sausage last night?”

Steve snickered. “If you’re gonna give the chef insults instead of kisses, you can help yourself to a bowl of instant oatmeal.”

“You mean kisses like this?” 

Bucky trailed along the base of Steve’s neck, then turned his head to kiss him. Oh, Steve could get used to this.

“Yeah, like that,” Steve said quietly, face going red. He wanted so badly to stay in Bucky’s arms, but  _ someone _ had to finish up breakfast.

“Go ahead and help yourself to some coffee.” Steve tossed his head towards the counter. “And I have a lot of sugar. You can put in as much as you want.”

Bucky snorted. “Thanks.”

He went ahead to fix himself a cup while Steve continued with breakfast. Bucky decided to help, looking through the cabinets to find two plates. Luckily, Steve  _ did _ have enough bread, putting two slices into the toaster. The rest of breakfast prep was relatively quiet, with Bucky waiting at the table and Steve plating up their food. By the time they were both settled, Steve was only a few bites into his breakfast when Bucky spoke up. 

“So… about last night.”

_ And here we go _ .

Steve swallowed a mouthful of egg. “You mean the mind-blowing sex?”

Bucky smiled. “Yeah, that. It was amazing, but—”

_ There was always a “but.” _

“—not into relationships right now?”

He’d heard this spiel before. Sometimes people just wanted one night, and he got that. Steve had those “one night” scenarios many times. He couldn’t say he was surprised. But a part of him couldn't help but be disappointed, hoping for something a little more.

Bucky’s cheeks flushed, eyes looking down. “Y-Yeah.”

“Buck, it’s fine if it’s a one-time thing.”

Did it hurt a little bit? Steve would be lying if he said no. But he liked to think he was a respectful, decent person. If Bucky didn’t want anything else, Steve would just have to live with it.

“Or maybe a casual thing,” he offered. 

Huh.

“That’s fine, too,” Steve supposed. It would be harmless fun, if it’s what Bucky wanted.

“It’s just, I suck ass at relationships.”

Somehow, Steve didn’t believe that. Bucky was… well, he listened. He was a good person, and a fucking  _ god _ in bed. “I mean, you suck ass like an expert.”

Bucky kicked Steve lightly under the table. “But for real. I’m not good at the whole boyfriend thing. You can ask Natasha. She’s a witness to all my emotional trainwrecks.”

“Like I said, it’s really okay. Don’t get too wrapped up in it and we can just enjoy last night as it was.”

“Oh yeah? And what was it for you?”

“The best sex I’ve had since my freshman year of college.”

Bucky almost choked on his coffee, looking deeply concerned. “Ouch. You’ve gone  _ that _ long without a good lay?”

Steve shrugged. “There were some okay lays. Just not one that made me forget my own name.”

“Maybe you were too vanilla back in the day,” Bucky said, somewhat proud.

“Nah, I think it’s because I thought I was straight.”

That confession made Bucky cackle, Steve joining him in the ridiculous reality of it. It wasn’t surprising, given his upbringing. Irish-American. Catholic. A heteronormative society and culture. No wonder Steve thought that he was destined to love women and only women, not that women weren’t amazing. But when Steve found out that he liked men just as much, life had gotten a little easier in terms of identity and expression.

“So who made you realize you were gay?”

“I’m bi, first of all,” Steve corrected. “And second, Thor. He went to the same high school as me and Sam, and he used to be a captain. But Thor had to deal with some stuff back home, so he elected Val to replace him.” Steve flashed Bucky a toothy grin. “He’s built like a goddamn  _ viking _ .”

Bucky let out a long whistle. “Sounds like a hell of a man.”

“And after waaaay too many shots of vodka, he convinced Sam to make out with me.”

“ _ Sam _ ?!”

And what a glorious night that was. All three of them were drunk and happy, giggling as if they were in high school all over again instead of celebrating their college graduation. Steve and Thor were already making out in their inebriated state, with Sam surprisingly expressing some curiosity. With some playful cheers from Thor, Sam and Steve spent a few minutes kissing and grinding. By the end of the night, Sam wasn’t quite sure if he was also bi, but was comfortable enough with himself to admit that his best friend is a hot piece of ass. It would take another year for Sam to realize that yes, he was bi as well.

“Yup. That man is a good kisser. Natasha’s lucky.”

Bucky let out a small ‘heh,’ then downed the rest of his coffee. “Y’know… Natasha’s not that bad, either.” 

Steve’s face had to be ridiculous because Bucky just laughed at him.

“What? You thought you were the only one who made out with a friend after some vodka?”

They stared at each other, both at a loss for words, but laughter erupted between them. Even if nothing romantic came out of last night, Steve found comfort that they were quite the pair. They hadn’t even known each other for a long time, but they fell into a comfort that Steve longed for.

“I wouldn’t mind a repeat of last night,” Bucky said, completely earnest.

Steve almost hated how honest he sounded. He knew he could always say no, and save himself from hurting and pretending that it was fine, that he didn’t want more. But he wasn’t above scraping up the crumbs of what could be.

“Door’s always open. Just let me know beforehand.”

As soon as he agreed, Steve gasped, feeling Bucky moving his foot up his leg. “You, too,” he said. “If you need me to scratch an itch, just let me know.”

“Maybe in half an hour. Don’t wanna touch you with my greasy hands.”

Bucky hummed. “Huh, kinky.” He winked at Steve, then tilted his head. “Alright, thirty minutes.”

It was the fastest Steve had cleared his plate.

★ ★ ★

The last time Steve had this much sex was his in his junior year of college. His then-girlfriend, Sharon, was adventurous in bed and it was thanks to her that Steve discovered some of his kinks. He was heartbroken when they parted ways, mainly out of career aspects and wanting different things, and Steve wasn’t going to get in the way of Sharon’s life. But they broke up on good terms, still messaging each other now and again to catch up and offer moral support. Whenever she was back in the city, she’d swing by the meetings and help them find loopholes in some of the most ridiculous barriers. 

Now Steve found himself in this two week-long fuck buddy relationship with someone he was pretty sure he liked—definitely not love, because it was too soon for that, probably. It made some meetings difficult, because Steve wanted nothing more than to walk home with Bucky, hand in hand, talking about what they’d make for dinner, plan out something fun for the weekend.

He was gathering his notes when his phone  _ pinged! _ , bringing him out of his daydream. 

**Bucky**

> Hey Steve  
>  Can I swing by before the meeting?

Steve snickered as he typed a reply.

**Steve**

> Sure

**Bucky**

> K, be there in a sec

Sure enough, Bucky arrived in minutes, hair mussed up—did he fucking  _ run _ over? Not even all the way through the door and Bucky was already grabbing at Steve’s face, bringing him in for a deep, hungry kiss. Steve immediately melted at his touch, whining as he reached behind Bucky to pull the door close.

“What got you so worked up,” Steve asked when he pulled away, voice playful.

“It’s your fault.” Bucky worked his way down, mouthing along Steve’s neck, teeth grazing over his pulse point. “Thinkin’ ‘bout how you look. Wearin’ your shirts shirt two sizes too fuckin’ small all the time.”

“I like a snug fit and— _ oh _ .”

Bucky slotted his knees between Steve’s, grinding his thigh against Steve’s crotch. He rocked his hips, desperate for friction as he grabbed onto Bucky's shirt.

“C’mon, enough playin’ around,” Bucky growled. “Get on your knees and  _ suck. _ ” 

_ Fuck yes. _

Obeying normally didn’t come to Steve easily outside of sex, and he was more than happy to oblige. Steve sank down to kneel before him, already hastily working on unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. Steve licked his lips in anticipation, fingers brushing against the bulge feeling how hard Bucky was for him. After pulling him out, tip dripping with precome, Steve licked lazy circles around the blunt head. Bucky let out a long exhale through his nose as he pet Steve’s head, running his fingers through blonde locks. 

“Good boy,” he crooned, setting Steve’s blood on fire. He blushed furiously as he glanced up to meet Bucky’s gaze. Upon seeing how fucking doe-eyed Steve was, and how his eyes teared up as he took Bucky’s dick down his throat, something snapped in him that made Bucky thrust into his mouth.

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Bucky groaned, bringing his own fist to his mouth, biting down on his hand to keep quiet. Steve continued to work Bucky’s cock, smirking as he bobbed his head up and down. The apartment was filled with Steve's sucking, gagging and moaning as his cock was stirring in his jeans, straining against the fabric. With clumsy hands, he pulled out his dick and started stroking, desperate to feel as good as he hoped he made Bucky feel. And Bucky seemed to approve, since a deep growl rumbled from his chest.

“Want that load,” Bucky asked, despite knowing that Steve couldn’t answer. He did his best to nod, but only swallowed more of Bucky down until he felt his balls graze against his chin as drool seeped past his lips. “You’re so pretty like this,” he babbled, thrusting his hips faster past those swollen, made-for-sucking-his-cock lips. “Like a goddamn wet dream.”

He jerked hard into Steve, once, twice and a third time, pushing in as far as he could as his fingers gripped at the blonde’s scalp, balls tight as he spilled down Steve’s throat. He gulped down all of Bucky’s come, gagging at the sheer thickness but was satiated at the act itself. Bucky was  _ feeding _ him and it was all he ever wanted. He pulled up with a wet  _ pop _ , but kept sucking and licking, making sure to lap up every trace of come as he continued to stroke himself, swallowing Bucky’s dick one final time to muffle his own moan as he came onto the floor and over his own hand.

“So sweet of you to clean me up,” he murmured as Steve tucked his spent cock back in his pants. After tucking his own back in, Bucky pulled him up and grabbed his hand, bringing it to his mouth to lick up the splattered white streaks. An embarrassed squeak escaped Steve as Bucky smirked at him.

“You taste good,” he said, before bringing in Steve for a kiss. “Could eat you up all day.”

“Too bad, we have a meeting.” Steve pulled away, doing his best to avoid eye contact. Bucky laughed softly, opening the door. 

“After you.”

As they left, Steve’s heart was still racing. 

★ ★ ★

Throughout the entire meeting, Steve was distracted, hoping to god no one would catch him with half-staff. He hadn’t really noticed when Bucky was fucking his face, but Bucky was always well-dressed. Not in the sense of wearing fancy clothes all the time, but every shirt, every pair of pants, all of it complemented his body, showing off form. He was starting to wonder if he had done this one purpose, claiming that the cafe was really “hot,” then proceeded to unbutton part of his shirt, exposing a patch of chest hair. Steve barely held it together and just like the fucking menace he was, Bucky told him he had to go straight home, something about getting a good night’s sleep. Of course, he managed to steal a quick kiss when no one looked, and gave him a playful wink before heading out.

“Okay,” Sam began as they walked toward the station. “Tell me what’s up.”

Steve almost hated how well Sam knew him. Okay, not really. He wouldn’t trade his friendship with Sam for anything. But he was allowed to have some secrets, wasn’t he?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, sounding far from convincing as his voice cracked. 

Sam shook his head, but remained light-hearted. “Nope. You don’t get to weasel out of this.” Damn it. “You look  _ waaaay _ too happy.”

“Happy,” Steve repeated. He knew he felt a little more at ease. There were groceries in his fridge, he sold a painting and everything happening with the Avengers Initiative was going well. “Happy  _ how _ ?”

“Like, you  _ got some _ kind of happy.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Curse him for being so obvious. Steve couldn’t help but grin. “So… maybe, I’ve been um, messin’ around a bit.”

Although Sam’s eyes widened in betrayal—mostly for not knowing about it—he elbowed Steve, as if to congratulate him. Because if there’s anything Sam knew, it had been a  _ long _ time for Steve. “Anyone I know?” 

_ Fuck _ .

“N-Nope.” Damn his voice for wavering. “No one.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“Fine.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s Bucky. We’ve been uh… helping each other out.”

Sam shot him an incredulous look, as if to process what Steve said. He figured that Sam might not like this, given past experiences. “And… it’s working out okay? I mean, you’re not really a no-strings-attached kind of guy.”

And Sam was right—he really wasn’t. He hated that he would catch himself thinking of Bucky’s smile, or how warm he felt under Bucky’s touch. Steve’s heart would jump into his throat and his pale complexion easily betrayed him by turning deep red. 

“I know. But he’s not ready for a relationship right now.”

“And what are you gonna do if he never is?” 

It was a good point. Instead of moving forward, finding someone who he could picture being together with, he would be stuck, completely in limbo between being more than friends but less than a couple. 

“Look, man. I’m just worried about you.” He swung his arm around Steve’s shoulder, pulling him in for a half-hug. “You’re a sappy romantic. Just… don’t get strung along for someone who doesn’t feel the same.”

“I know,” Steve forced out. “You’re right. But I’m gonna enjoy this for a little longer.”

Sam pulled away and shrugged, dropping the subject. When they parted ways, however, Steve kept thinking about his best friend’s concerns. His life was a mess, particularly in matters of love. That much wasn’t new. Steve had been through worse. 

But as always, the universe found a way to dig Steve Rogers into a deeper grave.

Typically, Steve didn’t check his phone for emails on meeting nights until he got home. Sure enough, he had some junk mail, coupon offers and social media notifications. But an email from his workplace immediately left a sour taste in his mouth. He hesitated, thumb hovering over the email, breath shaking as he opened the message.

> **From: staff@redhookelementary.org  
>  To: sgrogers@gmail.com**
> 
> Steven G. Rogers,
> 
> We regret to inform you...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! Once again, my state is on fire! As if COVID-19 and the fall semester weren't enough stressors. I'm doing relatively okay in my area but my anxiety is going through the roof. 
> 
> A cliffhanger! DUN DUN DUN. I'm sure you guys can figure out what the email will be about, so feel free to shout out any ideas! And as you probably noticed, this is the second to last chapter! How will everything wrap up? Will Steve get his head out of his ass and just tell Bucky how he feels? Will Bucky always remain a hot sex god? Hit that subscribe button to find out in the final chapter!
> 
> As always, kudos and comments cheer me up, even if it's just a <3\. They also keep my face clear and waters my bamboo plant. I'll see y'all in the final chapter. Stay safe out there in the big wide world!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> The lovely [boudreaux-13](https://boudreaux-13.tumblr.com/) did the art and came up with the concept of communist!Steve and anarchist!Bucky. Go give them some love! The fic will be updated in the following days, so please subscribe to make sure you don't miss an update!
> 
> I've done a lot of volunteering in my time--postcard writing, community forums, food box distributions, to name a few--so a lot of the things The Avengers Assembly talk about is stuff I have experience with (and oh boy is it a lot of work). 
> 
> Comments and kudos keep me sane in these infuriating times! Stay safe out there, everyone. Wash your hands, social distance, and do small things that you enjoy! And for you summer semester peeps, you're almost done! Look at you go! 
> 
> See y'all next time!


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